Granada Hills Charter High School

Ryan keeps it real

Between reminiscing about his childhood memories with a faint smile on his face and laughing lightheartedly at his friend’s goofiness, junior Ryan Sheerer manages to be both thoughtful and carefree at the same time. He has optimistic dreams for his future that are fueled by tough childhood. His determination and ambition have helped make him into the up-and-coming rap artist that he is today.

Music has always been a major part of his life, playing the role of an escape as well as an outlet. Growing up in a tough neighborhood, Sheerer watched his idols make it out of their own neighborhoods to become successful, which made him feel like he could too.

“To me, music is stronger than love and hate. It can completely change how you feel and turn your thoughts around,” Sheerer said.

Sheerer started making music when he was 13 with his laptop microphone. Sheerer’s father is also a musician, and when he discovered his son’s drive for music, he saw a lot of potential. He took Sheerer to a professional studio where he recorded and released a song, an instant hit among his growing fanbase. Sheerer noticed that fans like seeing the people they follow being consistent in their work. So, he continued to drop more singles and post frequently.

Sheerer’s rap alias is Yung Rugged, under which he has gained over 10,400 followers on Instagram. He has gained experience by opening shows for many artists over the years, including festivals headlined by Snoop Dogg and B-Real.

While his music is usually cheerful and seemingly lighthearted, Sheerer cares deeply about the feelings it induces in his fans. He wants young people to have big dreams and believe in their own abilities to follow their dreams.

“I want my fans to accomplish what they love to do and not fall into self-doubt. Nowadays when people compare themselves to others, especially on social media, they tend to think they’re not good enough,” Sheerer said.

Oftentimes, making it past the initial stage of judgment and criticism can turn into massive pressure and stop people in their tracks. However, this wasn’t the case for Sheerer.

“I had to conquer my fear of keeping this a secret from people. A lot of people tried to take me down, and though it affected me a lot at first, I learned to keep going and not let it take me down,” Sheerer said.

Recently, Sheerer has dropped a complete album called “Growing Pains” and a single called “Ups and Downs.”

Sheerer believes in accomplishing smaller successes before reaching for the bigger ones. For now, he wants to keep releasing more albums and singles. However, he strives to win a Grammy in the future.

With his down-to-earth attitude and a youthful, easy smile, Sheerer continues to learn and grow through his accomplishments. He believes in embracing his strengths and accepting success with humility.

“If you are trying to make it with music, just stay true to yourself, especially if you happen to make rap music, because this genre of music exposes a lot of fake people. Be consistent because that helps with attracting a good crowd and don’t let people bring you down. Most importantly, just have fun with it,” Sheerer said.